[The observation of palatopharyngeal histopathologic characteristic on the patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome].

Objective: To observe the histopathologic characteristic of the palatopharyngeal tissue and study the effect of ectopic accumulation of lipid on the pathogenesis and development of OSAHS.

Method: Thirty-eight cases were selected from the patients in hospital and divided into two groups. Each group had 19 cases, coupled according to Body Mass Index (BMI). HE staining, Oil red O lipid staining and the electro microscope technology were used to observe the pathologic characteristic of the palatopharyngeal tissue, especially the ectopic accumulation of lipid.

Result: There existed obvious fatty infiltration in the palatopharyngeal tissue of OSAHS patients, and the type of the minor salivary glands changed. The ultrastructure showed the corresponding changes and the cellular anoxic changes.

Conclusion: Fatty infiltration in the palatopharyngeal tissue of OSAHS patients may play an important role in the pharyngeal airway sinking during sleep. There is a closely correlated between fatty infiltration and the pathogenesis and development of OSAHS.